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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mouse · cue · content · bear · fork · net · mug · ruler

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. cue — a hint
  7. content — happy
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. cue — for pool
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mug — a cup
  13. net — for catching
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cue — a signal
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — after costs
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. content — the amount
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mug — to rob

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com